Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective - Lakers' Resurgence For Real? Can Bulls Avoid Disaster? Houston A Contender?

Episode Date: January 27, 2025

Brian Windhorst is joined by ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon to talk the Lakers’ recent resurgence & what this means for the team going forward, if we should be concerned about the Cavs’ recent slump, if Houston should be capitalizing on a chance to contend this season, why the Bulls should avoid a potentially disastrous move and some major takeaways from Windy’s time in Paris.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.esPN.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. Hello, welcome with the Hoop Collective podcast. We talk about the NBA, what you're doing on Sunday evening. If you're watching on YouTube, I'm wearing a hat.

I never wear a hat, but I just had 16 hours of travel just back from France. So it's like the middle of the night to me on the by the clockwise. So please have understanding, as I may babble more than usual. My hair is in no shape. Joining us from New York City, where I was for five hours today, but he had no interest in coming and seeing me at the airport is Tim Bontemps. I think everyone's going to be okay with the hat. I love everybody.

Sorry about the bills, buddy. Well, to sum up the bills, Josh Allen made what would have been one of the greatest plays of all time. The receiver dropped it, and CBS did notice it for 10 minutes. So that was how the game went today. Joining us from Dallas, Texas. The Cowboys haven't been to the Super Bowl in decades. It's Band McMahon.

Howdy, partners, we've got one good, strong, solid, in the first minute windy sleep update. I'm not going to tell you what the over-under is. that Jackson and I said before you guys got on here. But we're well on all the way. McMahon, you live in the Central Times Zone. I do. I just want you to understand that when I got up today to begin the travel,

it was yesterday for you. That's two, Jackson. I got up at 11.30 p.m. Central Time on Saturday. Absolutely no one else cares. But, you know, I'm saying, like, I mean, you, you actually. You act like it's out of, it's out of line. Oh, who said it was out of line. It was just, it was perfectly on brand.

We all enjoy a good, strong, windy sleep update. Honestly, if anything, I feel like they've been lacking lately. So I'm glad that you got a little international. A little live flat first class seating on the way home. And, you know, here we go. And by the way, Jackson and I both took the over. So I appreciate you. We're out of the way.

But we still haven't hit it. We still haven't hit it. We'll get there. Don't worry, folks. All right, well, I come back to the U.S., I haven't, you know, there was no chance of me seeing anything that happened on the West Coast last few days. But I am aware of the Lakers winning five of their last six games, including beating the Warriors on Saturday night. They're at the start of a six-game road trip, but it's not the nastiest six-game road trip. the league has ever seen.

They get the Warriors, no Draymond, no Cuminga. Might have been missing a couple other guys in that game. Stefko's scoreless in the second half. I will say the Lakers have put a few good defensive performances together in a row. They held the Wizards to 88 points. Now, I don't know if that comes with an asterisk, but nonetheless, we've been on them for their defensive issues

out of the season, so you've got to give them credit there. they hold the Celtics to 96 points in getting a win there it was the Celtics fifth game in seven nights a couple of them had been overtime um i watched oh yeah it was back to back i felt that they were completely gassed in that game but the lakers played good defense i don't want to take anything away from it but i and the Celtics you know they came uh to dallas from there and you know got the wounded mass pretty good and the Celtics readily admitted, like, they've had a tough time maintaining the sort of intensity that they had last year, as Chris Taps Porzhenius

put it so eloquently. Last year, they were lions, and they've been house cats in some games this year. They were house cats at Old Crypto. Yeah. Yeah. And they've looked toward and played board. You know, I will say this. So first off, J.J. Redick has

gone with Max Christie, and he's given them a boost defensively in their starting lineup. he look I didn't see the game against at all against the Lakers or against the Warriors I do know that Steph Curry scored zero points in the second half and I do know that Max Christie was a primary defender I'm sure it was up team effort but I think Max Christie does get some credit for helping that also I think it was Dorian Finney Smith's first start and again the Warriors put up a hundred and eight that's pretty good and also against Steph scoreless in the second half so

The Lakers getting some better defensive games, and then here are the rest of the games on their road trip. At Charlotte, I'm not sure what Lamello status is, but he's been missing some games, and the Hornets are not good. At Philly, who I used to have won a couple here, beat Cleveland the other night, which we talked about you were there, Bontems. At the aforementioned Wizards, those are their next three games,

and then at the Knicks, and then they come home and play the Clippers. They didn't do it, dome. But, you know, certainly not a gauntlet, there. And so I think there's two interesting things going on right now, Bon Tempts with the Lakers. One, they've got it some positive momentum going. And two, Anthony Davis comes out, puts Rob Polinka on blast and basically tells Shams, get me a center publicly on the record on camera. And by the way, has backed that up with a couple of great games. It wasn't like he did that and then laid a couple of eggs. He's said those

statements and then, you know, continue to play very well. So this is a key moment for the Lakers, both whether they can, you know, take advantage of this road trip and, you know, get some victories. And also whether or not their front office, heeds Anthony Davis is basically public directive to get him a center so he can play power forward. Anthony Davis is not a GM. He probably shouldn't be a GM because he's been a center for about five years. And training for a center would be an impossibly stupid thing for the Lakers to do. So he's should continue to play center. And when he plays center, the Lakers are pretty good.

Now, it's been a weird year for the Lakers. I got an interesting stat for you, fellas. You guys want to guess what the net rating is when LeBron James is on the court for the Lakers is this season. Well, the way you present it, it sounds like it might not be great. I know it was bad a while ago. It is negative 4.7 points per 100 possessions. That's a pretty gigantic and stunning.

The Lakers are. There's got to be more to that. The Lakers are 8.5 points per 100 possessions better when LeBron James is off the court than when he's on. They're plus 3.9 when he's on the court. They're minus 4.7. They're plus 3.9 when he's off the court. They're minus 4.7 when he's on. Their offense in particular is pretty rough.

When did the ball take his little break? Do you guys remember? I mean, I could look up the exact. Because it was during the, I believe it was during the in-season tournament break because he only missed one game. okay because I'm going to go on I'm going to look numbers up from I'm going to go back to mid-December because I do think well my point in general is just that if you look at the Lakers overall their expected one loss record is 20 and 23 they are five games over that they've had a negative point differential all season and yet they've pulled off a bunch of wins you know their losses have tended to be pretty rough they've had some blowout losses and they've won some close games. So they're sitting here several games over 500 at the halfway mark of the season. And, you know, like they don't have a lot of assets. It's hard to sit here and make to me a very compelling case that they are, they're on the level of Oklahoma City. So, you know, do they sacrifice a

couple of these picks and go try to get a guy or two who could potentially help them when there's not that much available on the market. And frankly, I think this team has been playing over its head. It's a hard sell for me, despite the fact that you've got LeBron and AD playing like this, because I just don't see what the moves are that this team could realistically make to be good enough to play with those teams. They still don't really have any perimeter athleticism. They still don't have any real shock creation outside of Austin Reeves, LeBron, and AD. And as you've mentioned before, McMahon, now that Austin Reeves is the primary boss, all under for his team. The opposing teams have gone at him pretty aggressively at the other end,

and he's really struggled. So it's a tough, it's a tough puzzle to try to figure out what they should do. You'd really probably need to have like J.J. Reddick on here to try to properly explain why he thinks that they're a negative with LeBron on the court. Well, and let me just. And anecdotally, I would suspect that's because LeBron has been so poor on defense this year. Yes. The, the, the, the answer is when he's on, when he is on the court. their defense is 115.3 points per 100 possessions, which in the league, I believe, would rank in the bottom half, might be lower than that. Yeah, 115.3.3 is the exact rating of the Chicago Bulls in 24th.

Let me add context. That stat is an early season stat. At one point, it was significantly worse. since he took his little break and came back. He has played in 17 games, and they're basically even plus 0.5, and the defensive ratings 11.2. So that was- But even then, Tim, but even then, if you're saying that, right? Like, he's come back and played better. There's still an even team with LeBron on the court.

I'm not making a case that the Lakers are one. piece away because I don't believe they are. Yeah, that's all. That's all I was. I don't think it was mostly close to contenders. I'm just, I'm just being very cautious about presenting a LeBron as washed case. No, I don't, I don't think he's washed either. To be clear, it's just it, it's the second time in his career, his team is negative with him

on the court at all. The only other time that happened was his rookie year. You know, like they're, they're over, I think minus 109 this season. I'm going to invalidate that rookie stat. He played like 42 minutes a game and he was on a crap team. Well, that, again, my point is, my point is we're talking about something that hasn't happened in literally a generation. But let's just, like the whole AD needs a center thing.

Look, we, you know, and, you know, you can say, hey, he had bigs next to him when they won the championship in the bubble, so on and so forth. Like, what big do you think they're getting that's going to elevate their? them to anything close to contender status? You think Jonas Valenshunus does that? Like who, I mean, you think Vucovich does that if they're able to put something like that together? No,

no. The thing about it is, like, you know, Valensunis has been a guy that's been rumored since summer because there were the reports that that's what LeBron, LeBron, you know, he made it clear he would take less money and one of the guys he would take less money for. Well, I don't remember even the list. For Jonas Valcunis would be just a completely

derosin, Valjunice, you know, yeah. It would be a completely deranged thing for the Lakers to trade for Jonas. Valenshunis can't switch. Like teams would, if you had, if you had, he can't do anything on defense. Yeah, if you had Austin Reeves and Valenshunus on the court, teams would have two guys they could attack.

I mean, yes, AD would. Vucovich is the same. Vutovitch is a better off guard anybody either. All of these players are not, these guys are not good enough. The Lakers, the Lakers have had the same problem for years now. really since they got rid of Contagius Calvo Pope and the Russell Westbrook trade. They have no perimeter athleticism to guard anybody. Kyle Kuzma was a useful player to them.

It was not just KCP. You know, I know Kuzma has sort of gone off the reservation last couple of years. Okay, that's fine. The point is they haven't had any actual 3&D players for years. That has been the problem with their team. During the Halcyon summer of 2023, when they signed Gabe Vincent, that was supposed to be the guy that was going to be this great piece for them. He has basically been heard ever since, has not recaptured the form he had with the heat.

And you just look at their team and they just cannot stop teams on the perimeter. And when they get in the playoffs and they have to go up against Jay Gilles-Alexander, or they have to go up against if he's back to where he at least has been in recent weeks, Jamal Murray, or they have to go up against Kyrie Irving and Luca Donchich or Anthony Edwards or any of these teams. Who are they guarding any of these teams? with. If they're going to do anything in the next two weeks, if they look at this and say, we have a chance now, I'm skeptical of that, but their record at least gives them the argument that they could, they have to try to get guys who can actually guard on the perimeter. Because by

the way, Dore and Finney Smith, as we've talked about, is a guy that's more comfortable guarding bigger players now too. He's not a guy you're putting on small guards on the perimeter. That's been the problem they've had for years. And if they're going to do anything, they've got to try to address that. And those players are not easy to get. Well, AD told Shams they're, you know, quote, one to two pieces away. And that's made me smile because it was like, well, it depends on which one to two pieces. Are you getting an all-NDA player? I would agree.

Any team in a top 10 spot could say the same thing. Hey, one two superstars away, you know, snap your fingers and make it out. Time me up. I did see that clip from AD on Saturday night where Curry had made like 30-something free throws in a row. He's had like dozens of these streaks, but Steph missed a free throw. AD was like stunned and he like screamed, not safe for work language that every, all of America heard. But, you know, like, eight, the more interesting thing to me than your analysis of this,

which is fine, I mean, here's the thing. These last couple of games have improved it, but Dorian Finney Smith has been there for like 15 games and their defense really had not improved. They had, you know, the last couple of games that's been. better. If you look at this streak. There's a reason he got traded for a couple second round picks. Oh, a defense rating is 107.5 with him on the floor.

I'll say that. But that's why he's starting. But he doesn't fix their problem. Their overall defense has not, these last couple games it's been better. So if you take that small sample size these last three games, it looks pretty good. But overall, their defense hasn't materially

been different since they went out and got the 3-&D guy. You know, so, you know, that is what it is. But, you know, we're in a spot here with the Lakers if they continue to play well. And, you know, it's hard to just believe in them because they seem to like they take two steps forward and one step back all the time. But if they have a good road trip, then they come home and the schedule flips for them. You know, basically they're on the Grammy trip right now. And so then the schedule flips for them and they get a bunch of home games.

So they've been good this year. So, like, this is a key time. And, I mean, AD senses that. And he obviously, he and LeBron obviously calculated and LeBron made comments and AD made comments. And they're putting pressure on the front office. And Jay J.J. Reddick blew it off. Yeah, it's January. So LeBron is going to clamor for the team to make conditions, which he's done the last 20 years in a row.

And I mean, look, the Lakers are 22nd defense. They're 13th in offense and they have a worse net rating than the Phoenix Suns. So if you're being calculating and looking at the situation they're in, this is still a team that is out a lot of assets going forward. And it's just hard for me to look at it and say there's anything on the market that's going to materially change their position. Because again, they probably have to get, like he says they're one or two pieces away. they're probably two good to elite perimeter defenders away from being the team that LeBron and AD would like them to be. And I just don't think those players are available, let alone available for what they have to offer in a trade. Those are arguably the most valuable players on the market this time of year.

And I'm not sure one of them is going to change teams. All right. So we'll see how the Lakers go. Are you seeing them when they're out east of all buntums? I will be in Philadelphia with our guy, Mackton, on Tuesday for the Sixthor game. and I will be in... Dave McMeneman is coming to Philly. He's a big Eagles fan.

He's from Philly. He's in a good mood today, brother. I'm sure he'll be sad in a couple of weeks when Mahomes does it again. And then I'll be in... I'll be with the Lakers at the Garden on Saturday night when they play the Knicks on our air. More hoop collective podcast after this.

All right, well, you were just in Philly a couple of days ago at the start of the weekend to see the calves. So we all remember... Cavs corner in a bit of a reeling position. McVand. They are no longer have the best record in the league. Brian left the country and they just completely capitulated.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's that mean? Just making, they think they just got sad. They're fearless leader left. We obviously talked a lot about how well the calves played and how well they looked when they beat the thunder in that home game. In the nine games since they beat the thunder at home, first off, the calves are four and five, and defensively, they have been getting drilled. Now, they've had some injuries. I haven't

mably missed a handful of games, three, four games with a calf injury, and then some of their perimeter guys who help with their perimeter defense, Isaac O'Coro and Keros Lavert have been out, and that's what Kenny Atkinson pointed to when discussing what is now a three-game losing streak, after they lost the Rockets twice in four days and the 76ers. The last two games, they've they scored 129 points in Philly the other night and lost and scored 131 at home

on Saturday night to the Rockets and lost. That is not how they got to 33 and 4 whatever they were at their high mark. They put up 130 point games, but they've been just getting torched on the defensive end, giving up over 133 times in the last

six games. One of those was in Oklahoma City where Shea and the rest of them just torched them. They haven't been the same team since then. They've lost four out of six since then. And Bontemps, like that game that you saw, Tide Jerome had one of the best shooting games of the year in the NBA. He would eight of eight on three,

Steph Curry-like. You can't lose a game where Tide Jerome goes eight of eight on threes. And then on Saturday, we're going to talk about the Rockets in a minute because the Rockets picking up those two wins, the real feather in their cap. but our man, a friend of the podcast, George Nyang, goes seven of nine on threes. Six or seven on three, seven of nine overall.

Oh, seven to nine overall. Six and seven on threes. I do have a George Nying update. You have two games where Ty Jerome and George Nying. Forget this. I want to hear the, you've given it off how great the calves are on offense stats. I want the minivan update. What's the update on our man, the minivan?

No longer the minivan. Really? No longer the minivan. He's been upgraded. And this is a Darius Garden thing. He's the G-Wagon. Okay? Yeah, you told that story

at the pod before. I mean, which I'm famous I don't think I've, I don't think I've, I don't think I've talked about it. No, I think I told you the story. I don't think it told you the pod. I haven't heard it. Oh, really?

I just saw our man, the minivan the other day. Hey, he's a little sleeker now, certainly more expensive. He's been upgraded. He's now the G-wagon. The minivan is a thing in the past. He was the minivan when he was making, like, a fraction of what he's making now.

So I... Exactly. He's Mercedes class now. All right. Well, look, when Ty Jerome and George Niengo, 14 and 15 on threes over a two-game span, you need to win those games, and they didn't bontems. And you saw it firsthand. And Kenny Atkinson has been talking about their inability to keep teams out of the paint.

Yeah. I mean, look, they, again, like you said, Evan Molley missed a bunch of those games. They've had some other injuries. It's understandable. They've had a bit of a bit of a game. They played five and eight days, five games. They were never, they were in a, they were not a 73 win team like they were at their peak, which, which was, which is fine. However, I do think, you know, look, the Sixers had an incredible shooting night themselves on Friday and like that some of that is going to break the other way.

They shot way above what their expected number would be in part, I think reversing a bit of their season long trend of being way under what their expended numbers would be. But also, like, look, the thing we've talked about with the calves all year, if you are going to poke. Coles and the calves and their chances of being a championship team at the end of the day, we'll go right back to the conversation we had about the Lakers. When they're playing elite offensive teams, who is guarding these players, right? They're, they're, yes, they've got Evan Mobley. Yes, they've got Jared Allen, but their perimeter defense and their collection of perimeter players, those guys are basically all offense first players.

And whether it's Darius Garland, no, Donovan Mitchell, obviously came into league as a defense first player. Justin Edwards the other night, who I think that was a career high for him. Yeah, well, I mean, look, the Sixers hit a lot of threes, but just in general, Ty Jerome, not a defender, Darius Carlin, not a defender. Our guy, the G-Wagon, God bless him, he's not stopping people on the perimeter. Carislevert is an average at best defender. Caris Lavert.

He's gotten a little better, but he's not a guy who's stopping. Carrislevert has good, he's got long arms and good length, and they've missed him. Caris Lavert is fine. If your answer to stopping Shea Gilles-A-Lexander is Caris-Livert, you don't have an answer. Well, that's the problem. I don't think there's an answer to stop. Yes, but you know what I'm saying. Now, they need Alan Mobley to cover up a lot of flaws.

You know, they need those guys to be absolutely dominant as a tandem and to make up for a lot of shortcomings, you know, size-wise and otherwise. on the perimeter. So it's funny, though, because if you just, going into the season, honestly, our questions about the calves weren't, were they good enough defensively to contend the fit questions were about the offense, you know, first and foremost. And they've still been awesome offensively. I mean, they're still the best offense in the NBA by a fairly comfortable margin. You know, like, dude, when you get off to a 33 and 4 start, I don't know.

you're going to have some aggression. Yeah, I like. There's a bunch of teams right now that are facing sort of the- It's the dog days of the season. None of this is a big deal. I don't think the, I don't think the cats losing these games while they're banged up is a big deal. But it is, it does go to, you know, if they're matching up against Boston or these other teams, New York, you know, Oklahoma City in a playoff series, that, you know, like you're right, McMahon, the offensive fit was a question. But it also was they don't have anybody to match up realistically with these elite,

offensive players on the other team. And, you know, it's just something to keep an eye on as we go. McCorro is capable of that, but how much you've given up on the offense fan? And like the shoulder thing, the jumpers been rough, been very rough lately. All right. Well, let's give the Rockets their due here. First off, I want to mention the two games that Amin Thompson had against the cast. I just, I want to set you up with this.

So, because I was just pulling up the stats for it. So Jabari Smith leaves the lineup with a shoulder injury a few weeks ago. And Amend Thompson has been starting now for the past nine games. He missed one of those games, but yeah. Right. Well, okay. So you're right. She's played nine games.

He started the ones he's played. Here are his numbers over those nine games. And 39 minutes a game. He's scoring 17 points a game on 55% shooting. He's averaging eight rebounds. Actually, let me take that back. It's eight defensive rebounds. 11.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game and 39 minutes a game.

That is pretty damn good. And 14 starts this year. The numbers are very similar. Then there are 11 and 3 in games that he starts. I don't know that you can take Thompson out of the starting lineup. I mean, certainly, I've told you guys many times, and it's not like this is some secret. The Rockets have considered him for quite some time as a huge. piece of their foundation. I think it's time just to leave that guy in the starting lineup for now and a long, long time to come. There's only one question with him in Topson. If he's shooting 16.7%

from three over that stretch and for the season, he's shooting 24% from three and 69% from the line, which is an improvement. If he ever becomes a 35% three-point shooter, let alone higher than that, he's going to be one of the 10 best players in the league because he is an unbelievable physical specimen. And if he doesn't, you know what it'll be? He'll be the player Ben Simmons was supposed to be. Well, he's not as big as Ben Simmons. But he's a hell of a lot tougher and he's more after. Well, that's about, I mean, he's actually good for a while.

He is arguably the best wing rebounder in the league. If he's not, if he's not the best, he's right there. And he's right there. And by the way, wing, he can be a four. You're right. No, you're right. In bored one through five. Well, he is a four.

That's the thing. Like with the shooting issues, that's where he's where he. he's playing right now, and it's probably where he's got to be for now. But he's a four who can grab a rebound and go and get you in and all those kind of things. In the game that they played in Houston against the Cavs, and they caught the cows on the second night of it back to back where they were sitting in Cleveland waiting for him.

So whatever, you know, but in the game in Houston, there was a weird ending to that game. Darius Garland had been 12 to 12 on clutch free throws. He gets fouled, shooting a three-pointer. flagrant foul, and he misses two of the three. And he had missed five free throws in the game. There was some stat that stats at info cooked up that he missed after he almost never misses two free throws in a row. Basically, it happens one percent of the time.

When he misses a free throw, he almost always makes the next one. I know you were in Paris, but we are going over a game from five days ago now. All right, fine. I'm just telling you, that was that was one game. But in that game, we know the cab should have won the game. It's okay. Well, I'm just saying, you know, whatever. So anyway, they pulled that game out.

And Amen went 16 and 16 in that game. And then the game Saturday in Cleveland, which the Rockets led throughout, the Cavs made a huge run in the second half to make it close. But he goes for a triple double, 23, 14, and 10. Wow. And so last year when the Rockets went on that role in March, the 11 game winning streak and all that and Shungoon missed all but the first couple games

he had the injury at the end of his season so Thompson was basically playing the five offensively and he was thriving as the you know as a role man all those kind of things when you talk to people around the league one of the questions was hey can Shingun and Thompson play together is that a fit you know what's the spacing like there how's that going to look those two when they're in line up together

the rockets have a plus 10.2 rating. The defense has been awfully good, 105.8, and 116.1 is pretty good offensively. Both really, really good passers. It's not like conventional modern NBA spacing, but they've found ways to make it work. And both those guys can pass out of the short roll. Both of them can kind of operate out of that dunker spot. Thompson, a lot of times, that's where they put him in the half court. You know, they're probably the two best passers on the team, right, Tim? I mean, I thought he's pretty good, but I was going to say, those guys are probably better than him. I was going to say to put where you put Van Bleet in that.

But, yeah, the Jabari Smith Jr. thing will be interested in when he gets back. Do they put him back in the starting lineup? But then his restricted free agency, I think, has a chance to be interested. The Rockets like him, I think he's got a really bright future in the NBA. I don't think he is at the same level talent-wise as Thompson. or talent-wise is Jaylon Green. And by the way, like, hey, Jaylon Green is put together

about a quarter of a season stretch here where he's averaging 24 points per game on really good efficiency, like 47, 40-90 splits. You know, it's not an extended stretch, but, you know, he's 22 years old and keeps on showing you, this is beyond the flash.

He's shown flash in the past. This is beyond the flash. This is a nice stretch of him being a go-to guy on a team that's winning. Just, FY, I don't want to talk about this necessarily, but Jabari wouldn't be a free agent until 27. Oh, that's right. His extension talks, I should say. Right.

I know, but just, I just wanted to clean that. Well, 26, Brian, not 27. He could sign an extension this summer to be a strict of free agent next summer. That's what I meant. I meant to say his extension talks. Yeah. Having said that, honestly, at this time last year, I didn't think they'd get both Shingun and Green done, and they were pretty unique deals that were very different.

They did very well on Shengun's deal, in my opinion. And this is all why we've talked about. The Rockets are going to be such a fascinating team going forward. They've got a ton of interesting young players. We haven't talked about Reed Shepard at all, who's been basically non-factor on a good team this year. He's a guy with a lot of people in the league like a lot. They've got a ton of draft picks. They've got all these sons picks.

They've got other picks. They've got all these young players. They've got Cam Whitmore, who we haven't talked about at all, who's an interesting young player too. They've got Tara Eason, who committed to foul on Darius Carle on the other day. He's a very good young player. We haven't talked about him. They got all sorts of young talent. They're way ahead in the standings of where they were supposed to be.

I mean, we've joked about phase three, but they're in second place tied with Memphis for second in the west. And I will say this. Yeah. So they won eight out of ten. And in that stretch, they've won in Denver, who, Denver was one of the hottest teams in the league until they got beat down by the wolves on Saturday. That was not

a 30 point lost. We did not see coming, but okay, it was good performance by the wolves. Ant had a big one. But anyway, Denver had been hot, so they went in Denver. They went in Cleveland, who'd been the best team in the league,

and they win in Memphis in that stretch. They took a home and home from Memphis in that stretch. So 8 and 10 was some quality Ws, twice or over the calves, twice over the Grizzlies in Denver in that stretch. Listen, they're awfully good and you got to assume to me, I'm locking in Houston into a top four seed in the west and I'm close to locking Memphis in too the way both those teams are playing and it doesn't really matter if guys have been out. They've kept rolling along

all year. So for both of those teams, it's been a heck of a season. Houston has all of these, they've got a bunch of expiring contracts. They've got a bunch of draft assets. But I have not heard, and I don't have all the information, but I have not heard hide nor hair. I've heard nothing. Well, McMahon has been, I was going to say, McMahon's been consistent on this all season. And I've asked around lately, you know, because let's be honest, like even Raffel Stone even went on Sirius XM on the record and said, we're not going to make a significant trade this season. And they've been telling, you know, I've been telling you guys that that's what they've been telling me, going back, you know, coming out of the, of the summer. But, you know, you know,

you know, nobody's under oath. So I've been asking around, and people say, like, I ask other GMs, like, hey, you know, do you believe the Rockets? And I haven't had a single person tell me no. Like, yeah, that, you know, that's how they're operating. Well, yeah, I'm just saying, I mean, you know, both them in Oklahoma City are very good and very young. Yeah. So, you know, like, both of them think they, I mean, I mean, I would think Houston, why would

Houston not think they can win the West this year. Well, and the other thing that for the Rockets, they're better than they, I mean, they didn't think they're going to be a two-seat like they are sitting in right now. They're honestly better than they thought. They did believe they'd be a playoff team, which I did not go into the season. But more than anything, they said, hey, we really want a full season and hopefully post-season to be able to evaluate this group. and we'll see what happens come playoff time.

We'll see, you know, they'll have to evaluate whatever, however that plays out and, you know, see if they want to change things around. You know, but even hypothetically, let's say somebody has a, you know, but Jalen Green, like, because if they do something major, that's probably the guy who's getting moved. Let's say Jethan Green has a tough playoff series, but he plays at this level the rest of the regular season. Are you knee jerking off of that? I don't know.

Like, I go back to it. Listen, Donovan Mitchell, in his second playoff run, he was only a second year in league, his second playoff run, they played the Rockets in the first round. And, you know, when I talked to Donovan recently, he even brought this up as like, you know, young guys got to go through growing pains because he had a terrible series. He shot like low 30s from the floor. It was a five-game series, and, you know, they got dismissed. So even if, like, Jayling Green has a rough postseason, if he, if he, if he,

he shows you this type of production and this type of efficiency, the rest of the regular season, I don't know. I don't know if they're looking really shake things up this summer. Jaylon Green has, Jalen Green has never come close to being as good as David Mitchell was, even in the second season, including this year. So if, I think we need to ease off on that. Listen, Jalen Green is 22 years old. I understand that. I'm just saying that's like, I'm not saying Jailen Green has no chance to be, become a go-to guy on a playoff team. But he also spent the two months before these last few weeks of January

shooting 30% from three and being wildly inefficient. So I would just say it remains a pretty significant work in progress on that to get to that kind of level. Jonathan Mitchell's age 22 season was his second year in league because he went to college for a couple of years. And he was 23.8 points per game. Shooting 43% from the floor, 36% from the three-point range. That's not that far off from what Jaylon Green's numbers are right now.

So the coaches who pick the All-Star Reserves, although they're not all-reserves because there's crazy freaking format this year that's, and I'm disgusted by. But those votes, I believe, are due on Monday. I'm not mistaken. I don't know how you don't have a rocket on there. They're in second place. And so you're going to have to honor them. And I think the pick is Schengun. And so I'm thinking Shengoon's going to get, he's got a strong case of being named All-Star on Thursday.

I have a story coming this week, pulling out, picking all 24 players to be on the All-Star team, and we'll see if our parent-Shangoon is on it. Also, I want to say one more thing. I know that Kenny Atkinson is a strong leader right now for Coach of the Year. Done a great job there playing great. Imeudoka, his influence on this team. No question. is profound and what he's, what the, the, the toughness that they play with, the defensive.

I mean, like, look, I know that they're young and like, I, you know, I've had conversations with Rafael about their situation. I know how they feel. I get how they feel. You know, they're a top five defensive team. Like, if you're a, if you're a number two seed, now I don't know if they're going to hold on to that, but if you're, if you're at number two. seed, which means you got home court in the first two rounds, and you're a top five defensive

team. That's the resume for a contender, buddy. Like, I, you know, I don't, you know, maybe, maybe in their heart of hearts, maybe they don't, I don't know what they believe. I mean, it's hard for me to see the offense being good enough to ultimately get that far. That's fine. I'm just telling you. Which is why where it doesn't diminish, it doesn't diminish the job he's done. And look, there are only five losses back of the calves now. I think like a couple weeks ago, you just said Kenny had Coach of the Year sewed up for as great a job as he's done. If those teams are within a couple games at the end of the year, it's probably a toss-up on which one of those guys wins that award.

I think the Rockets are on their way to being contenders. I don't think it's going to be this year. You know, I do think that, you know, young guys are going to have to go through some growing pains in the postseason. And if you look at the West, obviously it's OKC and then there's a drop. The Mavericks got to get healthy. If the Mavericks are healthy, I'd take the Maverx over the Rockets in the series. I'm taking Yokich over them still, too, despite all their issues.

I take the nuggets over the rockets. By the way, that's one of the reasons why, you know, Denver is sort of lurking out there. And again, it's not the best time to talk about it after the egg day late on Saturday. But Denver has been playing better and better. Oh, yeah. The Westbrook-Yok-Jokic connection is remarkably working. Well, again, like we talked about it. It's working.

It's working because they have the best player on the planet who's unbelievable. That's why it's all working. You say it's remarkably working. I say it's working remarkably. Well, listen. Nicole Yokic to me has evolved to the place where LeBron was over the back half of the last day. I agree. I'm just saying.

I'm just taking Nicole Yokic until he loses. Denver is sitting there and you look at the teams that are in front of them. Obviously, the Thunder are in a class by their own. But the way Denver's playing right now, I think they'd won 11 out of 14 before losing in Minnesota. They've won eight of their last 10. I mean, to me, if I'm the Nuggets, the entire, the goal for the next two months is to get to at least three. Because if they get off the same side of the bracket as the Thunder, I'm not picking them to lose anybody before the conference finals. And then take your chances playing Oklahoma City at that point.

That, because just that would be, to me, the whole goal. And they're right now, they're two losses back of Memphis and three losses back to Houston. So they're right in the mix for that, despite all the stuff that's gone on with them this year. And we all know Yolkich is going to be available basically every game. Well, and they're playing, they're starting, obviously, aside from the Minnesota Dudd, they're starting to play, or they've been playing really good basketball. And Aaron Gordon's minutes are getting ramped up. I tell you, I'm not so sure Gordon's not going to stay in a six-man role, though.

at this point I am confident telling you I don't think Russ is coming out of the starting lineup before we had that conversation I said it could probably be Christian Bound at the bench I'm not sure that I understand I understand what you're saying Bontemps about the Okach effect but the when you have a megastar like that your goal as an organization is to put people who compliment him and Westbrook is complimenting him I mean he's shooting over 50% as since he's been the starting lineup he's shooting over 50% which we've never talked about Russell Westbrook. Here's what we should be talking about,

and it's not Russell Westbrook. Since December 1st, Jamal Murray's averaging 21 a game, shooting 48% from the field, 41 from 3, 5.5, 5.9 assists per game. If that, Jamal Murray, sticks around through the rest of the season and into the playoffs, Denver gets into the top three.

Denver's in the conference finals, and we're talking about Yokich versus Shea, not just for MVP, but to get out of the West and go to the final. and sign me up for that. That would be pretty great. And it's interesting because, you know, they played that baseball series here in Dallas,

and Murray had 45 in the second game. And Malone used that as an opportunity to very publicly, I don't know why he's been getting all this scrutiny, you know, all that kind of stuff, which was, you know, there's a little bit of an act there. But his point was,

hey, he's been playing really good basketball for a while. This is not like some breakout outlier game, you know, and his numbers at the time, I forgot. But it was, they were Murray-esque numbers for a month-plus stretch,

and that's pretty much continued. And his point was, like, obviously, the scrutiny, why was the scrutiny? Because the guy signed a $208 million max contract coming off of a really rough playoffs in Olympics. And then got off the first two months of the year, he shot, yeah, the first two months of the year, he shot 41% for the field, 32 from 3.

He was average an 18-y game. And he did not look like Jamal Murray. Frankly, yeah, he was not in good shape. You know, like if you talk to people around the Nuggets, they all acknowledge. Like, yeah, I got up to a slow start, I had to play his way into shape. Since he's played his way in his shape,

he's looked like the guy who was the second best player on a championship team. If he's at that level, the Nuggets is going to have a chance. More Hoop Collective Podcast after this. On Monday, the Denver Nuggets next game is in Chicago

against the Bulls. The Bulls have lost seven out of eight games, which is not necessarily a bad thing, because they were messing around with their draft pick. They need to be, in my opinion, they need to be losing because, in my opinion, they should have started a rebuild two years ago, but they need to keep this draft pick. But they have lost seven of eight games. But what's more interesting at the Bulls right now is they are absolutely involved in conversations with the sons,

involving the possible Jimmy Butler situations, not that Jimmy Butler would end in Chicago, where they would get involved in the trade. And look, I mean, I know this is going to get aggregated. I don't know what to say. Like, if I'm talking about a three-team trade and Jimmy Butler is on one end and it's not going to Chicago, we're talking about Bradley Beal. Because the sons could only trade Bradley Beal. There's nothing. I mean, they can trade.

I guess they can trade Nirkich. To get Jimmy Butler, they have to trade Bradley Beal. The whole thing at this point. Oh, not the whole thing. A huge part of the thing is about finding a place for Bradley Beal, which obviously also requires. Bradley Beals. Right. We're dancing around this because I've just been burned on aggregation.

But the bottom line is that the Bulls and the sons have talked and the concept of Bradley Beale ending up in Chicago has been discussed. I'm not saying it's going to happen. I'm not saying it's close or whatever. Obviously, Beale has a no trade clause. But bond temps, I just can't believe that Chicago would do that deal. So maybe it's never going to happen. But it's been discussed.

What do you want me to say? I mean, I hope they don't because it would be one of the dumbest trades ever if they did. I mean, if you watch the Phoenix Suns trade away, as Justice Zanick correctly pointed out, was the best asset on the market, the 2031 Sun's first round pick. Yeah, just take a quick time out there. I know we may have mentioned this earlier, but just to go over the ground. The Suns do that trade with the Jazz a couple of days ago, trading their 2013 first for three picks from Utah. Justin Zannick, the general manager goes on the team broadcast.

day later and declares the 2013-1 pick they had just acquired. How exactly did he say it was one of the best assets? He said they traded three picks that couldn't be the number one pick for a pick that could be the number one pick. It said it was the best trade asset on the market. And by the way, he was correct because teams around the league were eyeing that pick and thinking, hey, we can get some really good stuff for that pick because we have no idea where the Phoenix Sun team is going.

And if the Chicago Bulls turn around and take some combination of three picks that are most likely to be 25 or later to take on the worst contract in the league for a guy who's owed $110 million the next two years who has a no trade clause, which means he can't actually get traded anywhere, it would be the height of insanity to do that. Because by the way, it wouldn't be the worst contract in the Eastern Conference, but it's not. A hundred percent is the worst contract in the league because you can't do anything with it. You can talk about you all in Bede. You can say whatever other crap you want about any other player. If you have Bradley Bale on your team, you're at the mercy of whatever Bradley Beal wants to do. That's why it's the worst contract in the league,

because it's the only, it's the only one you can't move. You can move any other deal. You can't move that one because you have to get his permission to do it. You have to. And it's a way overvalued contract on top of it. Zach Levine is still a guy that people are not super enamored with in the trade market. But Zach Levine has been a borderline all-star this year. He's at a very good year. And at some point in the next couple of years, the Bulls, will be able to get positive value for Zach Levine. So trading now at this kind of price would be completely insane. That's kind of fascinating.

To acquire Bradley Beal, they wouldn't have to trade Levine. But that's, I mean, I had a general manager like three months ago tell me, what's going to end up happening is these untradable players are all going to get traded for each other. So he was talking about guys like Jimmy Butler, guys like Bradley Beal, guys like Zach Levine, you know, maybe Brandon Ingram. And the reason that these players are untradable isn't because, they stink. It's just because the new era and their contracts. And all of them are guys who are on max contracts, who are coming to the end of their deals. Well, in the case of Beal and Levine,

they've got a couple of years left on it, but they're not playing to the level of max contract players. And although out of all those players, the guy who's doing the closest of it is Levine. He's averaging 24 points. He's at a really, really, really good season. I mean, this would not happen. His shooting splits are 51, 4479. Yeah, he's had a really, really good season. So the thing is, I mean, Zach Levine's three-point percentage is up 9% this year. Far in a way, the best of his career.

Because of his contract, he would never be considered for this. Also, his team is not good. But on straight numbers, you could argue that Zach Levine is the most improved player candidate. Now, he's a multi-time all-star a couple years ago before he has had a season. He average over 27 a game. Yeah, I mean, listen. Zach's having to really... I'm just saying compared to where he was the last year. The point is, the Bulls, the Bulls, all this is true. The point is, the Bulls cannot do this trade.

They cannot take on Bradley Beale in his contract that they can't move to get rid of Zach Levine for the 29th pick in this year's draft and some other crappy future first round pick. Like, It would be one of the dumbest trades ever because, again, the Bulls don't have to do this. There's no reason for the Bulls to do this. Just wait it out. You're going to probably get some real value for Zach in a year or two because he's still a young player. He's going to keep playing at a pretty high level. He's playing really well right now.

You can get something later for him. You're not getting anything for Bradley Beale. He ends up on the Bulls. He's on the Bulls. You're only getting this return. You're stuck with this contract. You can't do anything with it. It just, it would be the height of insanity to do that.

So, so just so you know, so Levine, he's making 43 million this year. He makes 46 million next year, and he's got a player option for 48 million. This is a guy who is, again, averaging 24 points over 50% overall. As you said, 44% on three, five rebounds, five assists, and he has no market. No market. They've been trying to trade him for a year. There's no market. it. Well, and a big part of that is because he is also a guy who played 25 games last year.

Yes, he has a, he has knee issues and a big contract. And so he struggles, and he struggles on defense. And again, we've seen a lot of these, we've talked about it at nauseam, whether it's Brandon Ingram or, you know, Julius Randall when he was in New York or Zach, like there's all this group of guys that are all in the same sort of level of player who are on contracts from the last CBA. and they're all kind of stuck in the same boat, which they're all fine players, but there's a reason we keep talking about them all is not going anywhere. I think there is a way for the Bulls to be involved in the Jimmy Butler deal

and make a good deal, but it would have to have more than three teams involved. Oh, well, that's the problem with this Jimmy Butler deal, because you got to get, obviously the sons have to move Beal. So that's a major problem. then whatever they get for Beal, they have to offer to Miami. And Miami has a standard, which is what they're going to take. So it's like trying to get four or, plus there's all the apron issues and all this and all this stuff.

It's, if a Jimmy Butler deal happens, where it's to Phoenix, it's going to be a four or five team deal. Right. And Bon Timps, how confident or firm do you, how, how first, Do you think the heat are on no money past 26? They're not doing a trade for money past 26. The Miami Heat will just not do a trade. Exactly. We keep talking about this. In the summer of 26.

Yeah. They're not taking money that goes into 2026, 27. They clearly want to be in that free agency market. You know, potentially Luca could be a free agent. I don't think he's going to be. But you go down the list, Jared Jackson. There's all these guys that could be free agents that summer. I'm not, to be clear, just for all the aggregators,

sure, no, Lucas not going to be a free agent. Just saying, if you go look at the list of 26 free agents, there's a ton of them. The capital have gone up a bunch of money the next couple of years. It'll be the first time we'll potentially see free agency really be a thing again, and guys like to live on the shores of Biscayne Bay. So Miami is looking ahead to that. They're not going to compromise that in a Jimmy Butler trade.

And look, the heat, if they don't get what they want in a trade, we'll just wait until the summer and deal with Jimmy Butler then, because there will be a lot more options for them in a few months if they can't get what they want now. I do think from what I understand, and I'm having just nonstop conversations about this in the league, but when the heat started this process with Jimmy a month ago, before they really got serious and there was the, you know, the all-out war, they were saying they weren't going to take money back past 25. Like, they've been willing to maybe take money into 25, 26 to try to get Jimmy Butler traded. but they're at one point they were saying in a statement they were released publicly that they

wouldn't trade him at all so all these things as we've everything's said again this is all in negotiation. No, I understand. But my point is I do think the heat are trying to trade Jimmy Butler and they've, I think they've softened on their stance that they wouldn't take money back after this year. They're just drawing the hard line right now at, you know, in the line for after next year is not going to change because that would materially impact. their situation.

For next year, they're kind of in the same boat either way. Now, Wendy, as you've been working so hard to track this story, how much sleep do you think the J. Butler situation is cost to you on? What's the wager? What's the wage that I'm trying to help you win here? How much sleep do you think it's cost you over the last month? You know, here's the thing. Like, when I was in Paris, like, you know, people are calling me at 245 a.m. like, it's nothing.

There is. We hit the over, Jackson. We both took the over. It's like, yeah, just call him. It's three in the morning. What does he care? He'll answer the phone. Did you?

Yes. There you go. He's the hardest working guy in show business. Well, look, the heat, but yeah, the heat will walk away if the right deal is not there for them. And they'll deal with it later. I think everybody would like to be done with this now, but they're not going to make a bad deal. And Jim is trying to make it as hard as possible for them to walk. away. I'm sure he is. But at the end of the day, like, there's also a reason why the market is what

it is. Like, you know, there's not, trust me, if the heat had a deal on the table that satisfied what they were looking for, I think it's, I think we all agree. Maybe Brian disagrees. I'm pretty sure we all agree. The heat had a deal that was satisfactory on the table. Jimmy Butler wouldn't be on the heat. So it's not like they're sitting there going, we really want to, you know, hold this up and, you know, we're absolutely not going to trade Jimmy Butler, even if we get a fair deal. Like, there just isn't anything that's materialized yet. And part of that's because the team is most desperate to trade them for him, the Phoenix Sons, has the worst contract in the league because the guy can say, I don't want to go anywhere.

It doesn't matter what they do. As long as he hasn't agreed to go somewhere and no one's agreed to take them, then it's all, you know, it's all elementary in the end and they can't do anything about it. Before we go, I just want to say that from my time in Paris, one of my big takeaways other than Victor Wenbanyama is good. By the way, Victor was, in my view. The discovery. He saw his discovery again, man. Totally gassed. So they played on Saturday night. After winning by 30 on Thursday, the Spurs lost to the Pacers by 30 on Saturday. Victor was, in my view, totally gassed on Saturday. He would probably not admit that. I think he might have been a little under the weather, but not a

surprise after all the commitments that he had during the week. And honestly, as much as I hate to admit it, we got windy sleep updates and we got Wemby sleep updates. As much as I hate to, there you go. The, their domination of the patients in the first game has been the exception for the spurs lately. They haven't been playing well for a little. That's true.

I don't think that their roster is that good, just to be honest. And they got a lot of work to do on it. They wouldn't admit. But by the way, I feel like, when Yama played like on a scale of 1 to 10, he played like a four game on Saturday, and he still had 20 and 12. But he only had one block officially. There was one or two others where he could have gotten blocks.

I think there was one that McMahon, you felt that I don't think he actually got his hand on it. But I was sitting next to the scores, literally right next to the scoring crew. Oh, we saw you. Looking all. By the way, the fact that he only had one block when he averages four, okay, let's give them the one and say he had two.

It just tells you his activity level one there. But let me just say, one of my big takeaways is how hard the Pacers are going to have, how difficult it's going to be to beat the Pacers in the seven game series. I'm not predicting that they're going to make another run again. I'm just telling you, I don't want to see that team in a series because the way that they play is wearing. and since Neesmith and Nemhart have come back, that is a different looking team. I spent quite a bit of time with them this week.

You know, in that game, and it's not worth examining the game, but Devin Vassell, they put Nemhart on Vassell in that game, Vassell did nothing. I didn't even know Vesel was on the court. Half the time you've mistaken for Stefan Castle anyway. But I didn't even know he was on the court. And so I'm just saying my time with the Pacers,

Also, I watched them practice for a little bit, and they did that old school drill where they put the lid on the rim to practice rebounding. Carlisle doing old school stuff like that still. Hey, the Rockets didn't have to do that until the last couple months or so. Last one of the month and a half. Anyways, go on.

Yeah, it's one of the things for Thompson. There's a lot of available rebounds in those games. Go on. But anyway, just Pacers. there's something going on there. I know where they are in the standings. I know that they have some deficiencies. Brian's also discovered the Eastern Conference finalists last year, McPan.

Well, no, seriously, though. Who's this guy covered in the conference semifinals? He's discovered. Who's this guy, Tyrese Halliburton? But they are, they've been playing well for a while. Halliburton has had a very good January. But, like, you know, we thought, hey, if the Pacers are really going to get back roll

and Halliburton is going to have to play at an all-N-B-A level. And he hadn't played in an all-N-B-A level. He's played well. He's had a Jamal-Murie kind of season. The last couple months, he's definitely got back a lot closer to the version. Yeah, and like I said, January, he's played really, like he's averaging in 19-9 very efficiently, like 52-44-89. And in talking to Tyrese and the Pacers, he is physically in the best place he's been in a while.

He did miss a game like eight or ten days ago where they thought he might. have aggravated his hamstring. Yeah. And then I think they got imaging and it was like, it was his groin. And it's like, okay, I think he was just worried. And it was like, okay. And he ended up coming through that fine. And he was awesome.

He had an 18 point quarter. Yeah. He's finally starting to round back in shape, which has been fun to see. Well, you know what there, if the standings hold, you know what their first round series would be? They'll Fox, right? I think it's six right now. Another fifth. There's Knicks.

Oh yeah, Pacer's bucks. Pacer's bucks. Yeah. Oh, man. Which would be interesting. Well, and look, the bucks have gotten them this year. The bucks couldn't beat them last year. The bucks have beaten them a couple times this year.

But that'd be a fun series. Who gets to keep the ball? It'd be a fun series. And they're also an interesting team to watch at the trade deadline too. I don't know what they're ultimately going to do. But they're in a bit of a money crunch for next season. They currently have no centers under contract next year. They're basically bang up against the cap.

or against the tax, which they're not going to pay. And they've got a roster that sort of screams a consolidation trade at some point. So it will be interesting to see if they do any maneuvering over the next couple of weeks to try to improve this team and move some money around. Yeah, I think they're sniffing around. But they did already make one deal, Thomas Bryant, who has been a really good pickup for them as a backup center. He's been very effective. They picked them up from the heat.

They are right up against the luxury tax. So that's always an issue in Indiana. And yes, Miles Turner is a free agent, and I think they want to resign him. And Andrew Nemhart's extension comes on. You know, he's getting a big bump from like two and a half to like $16 million or $14. I don't know what it. It goes from $2 million to $18 million. Plus I think Halliburton's Supermax kicks in.

So, I mean, it's already started. I mean, he and he and Seyak can both go up a couple million. I mean, the main one is the Nemhart deal kicks in and, you know, they've got a bunch of guys on longer term extensions and they don't have Miles Turner under contract. So, you know, they're going to have to move some stuff around if they want to retain him. Miles, by the way. Stay under the tax, which we know they're going to do. Miles had a great game on Saturday against Victor. Like he had some moments where he got Victor.

I mean, at the end of the day, it was a tremendous week for Victor, but Miles will always have a couple of dunks that he had on. Saturday, and he was the best center on the court for the game. But unfortunately, those games in Paris, I don't know, I think there's been five games played in Paris in the last three years and three or four years. And I think all of them are competitive, have they? Yeah. No, no. They're not selling NBA basketball, competitive NBA basketball too well in Paris.

All right. Time for bed, McMahon. Oh, way over, baby. Way over. Thank you to Jackson, our producer. Thank you to McMahon and Bon Temps. Thank you for putting up with my sleep complaints. Because that's what I do.

Not complaints. These are factual updates. The fans haven't heard any in a while. They'll be happy to have had some. Thank you for watching, listening to The Hoop Collective. Thank you for not mentioning Pete McMahon. We'll talk to you soon. I didn't want to put my foot in my mouth.

Adios amigos.